Disposable sweat strips

ABSTRACT

A sweat absorbent strip with temporary adhesive on one side that can be adhered inside the brow of a hat to absorb sweat and grime. A plurality of such strips may be dispensed in pre-packaged form from a box dispenser. After using the hat with sweat absorbent strip according to the present invention, the user simply discards the strip and the hat is ready for use the next day by the same or by another person.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application derives priority from 60/550,941 for “DISPOSABLESWEAT STRIPS”; Filed Mar, 4, 2004.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to sanitary accessories for the foreheadarea of hats, and more particularly, to a disposable sweat strip forkeeping hats sanitary despite multiple wearings.

2. Description of the Background

It is not uncommon for hats to be worn by multiple people, or multipletimes by the same person. This is especially true in commercialenvironments such as construction facilities, where teams of workers mayshare a limited number of hard hats, or individuals may use a personalhard hat day after day. Depending on the difficulty of the work and theambient heat, a worker might sweat profusely at the forehead andsaturate his brow. Nevertheless, at the end of the day the hard hat isreturned to the rack. The next day, whoever winds up with the hat findsin disgust that the inner brim is soiled with grime. This obviously canbe offensive and creates severe sanitary and potential liability issues.One solution is regular cleaning, but this entails abrasives or causticchemicals that can ruin the hat or harm the worker. It would be greatlyadvantageous to provide a better solution to maintain the cleanlinessand sanitation of shared or personal hats.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is, therefore, the primary object of the present invention to providea disposable sweat strip for hard hats or any other hat, which can beinserted over the brow to absorb sweat and grime on a daily basis, andyet disposed of at the end of the day leaving the hat fresh for the nextday's wear either by the same or a different user.

This and other objects are accomplished by a sweat absorbent fabricstrip with temporary adhesive on one side that can be applied (adhered)to the brow of a hat to absorb sweat and grime. A plurality of suchstrips may be dispensed in pre-packaged form from a box dispenser. Afterusing the hat with sweat absorbent fabric strip according to the presentinvention, the user simply discards the strip and the hat is ready foruse the next day by the same or another user.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention willbecome more apparent from the following detailed description of thepreferred embodiments and certain modifications thereof when takentogether with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sweat absorbent fabric strip 6according to the present invention as applied to a ball cap 2.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a sweat absorbent fabric strip 6according to the present invention as applied to a construction hard hat4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention is a sweat absorbent fabric strip 6 with temporaryadhesive 8 on one side. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the sweatabsorbent fabric strip 6 according to the present invention as appliedto a ball cap.

FIG. 2 is perspective view of the sweat absorbent fabric strip 6according to the present invention as applied to a construction hard hat4.

In either the case of a ball cap 2 (FIG. 1) or a construction hard hat 4(FIG. 2), fabric strip 6 is formed as a rectangular strip approximately7″ long such that it can be adhered across the brow, accommodating allforehead sizes. The fabric strip 6 is layered with self-adhesive 8 onone side and by removing a backing can be adhered inside the hatlengthwise across the brow. A removable paper backing is suitable forprotecting the self-adhesive 8 until use.

Preferably, the sweat absorbent fabric strip 6 is pre-packaged incellophane or the like much like a band-aid for one-time disposable use.A plurality of such strips may be dispensed in pre-packaged form from abox dispenser.

The fabric strip 6 preferably comprises two porous paper cloth or fabriclayers 10 a & 10 b and an absorbent foam layer 12 sandwiched between thetwo paper/cloth layers. The two paper/cloth layers 10 a & 10 b may beany suitbale thin woven or otherwise porous paper. For example, theinner paper/cloth layer 10 b may be cellulosic filter paper that ishydrophilic (water absorbent), while the outer paper/cloth layer 10 a isalso cellulosic filter paper treated to be hydrophobic (waterrepellent). A perfluoromethylcyclohexane (PFMCH) treatment may be usedfor thius purpose. The foam layer 12 sandwiched there between may beanyconventional reticulated absorbent foam such as felted foam traditonallyused for wicking. The two porous paper cloth or fabric layers 10 a & 10b may be heat or compression bound together along their sides. Thisparticular hydrophilic/absorbent/hydrophobic sandwich configurationprovides great water retentivity when moistened by sweat and yet wicksthe sweat away from the user's forehead to maintain a comfortable dryfeeling. Hydrophobic layer 10 b prevents wetting and staining of the cap2. The temporary adhesive 8 is a conventional tacky adhesive such as isreadily available from 3M Company.

In use, the fabric strip 6 is removed from its packaging, protectivepaper-backing is removed from the adhesive 8, and the strip 6 is applied(adhered) inside the hat across the brow to absorb sweat and grime.After using the hat with sweat absorbent fabric strip according to thepresent invention, the user simply discards the strip and the hat isready for use the next day by the same or another person.

Having now fully set forth the preferred embodiment and certainmodifications of the concept underlying the present invention, variousother embodiments as well as certain variations and modifications of theembodiments herein shown and described will obviously occur to thoseskilled in the art upon becoming familiar with said underlying concept.It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention may be practicedotherwise than as specifically set forth in the appended claims.

1. A sweat absorbent strip for attachment inside headwear, comprising: aself-adhesive strip formed of an absorbent foam core enveloped inopposing porous layers, said strip being substantially elongate andrectangular and coated with temporary adhesive on one side.
 2. A sweatabsorbent fabric strip for attachment inside a hat according to claim 1wherein one of said porous layers is coated with a hydrophobic coating,and another of said porous layers is hydrophilic.
 3. A sweat absorbentstrip for attachment inside a hat according to claim 2 wherein both ofsaid porous layers comprise woven paper.
 4. A sweat absorbent strip forattachment inside a hat according to claim 2 wherein both of said porouslayers comprise fabric.
 5. A sweat absorbent strip for attachment insidea hat according to claim 2 wherein said hydrophobic coating isperfluoromethylcyclohexane (PFMCH).
 6. A sweat absorbent strip forattachment inside a hat according to claim 1 wherein said strip isapproximately 7 inches long.
 7. A sweat absorbent strip for attachmentinside a hat according to claim 1 wherein said temporary adhesive iscovered with a removable protective paper backing that is removed fromsaid temporary adhesive before said strip is used.
 8. A sweat absorbentstrip for attachment inside a hat according to claim 1 wherein saidtemporary adhesive attaches lengthwise to brow of said hat.
 9. A sweatabsorbent strip for attachment inside a hat according to claim 1 whereinsaid hat is a personal ball cap.
 10. A sweat absorbent strip forattachment inside a hat according to claim 1 wherein said hat is aconstruction hard hat.
 11. A sweat absorbent strip for attachment insidea hat according to claim 1 wherein said hat is a sports helmet.
 12. Asweat absorbent strip for attachment inside a hat according to claim 1wherein said strip may be discarded after every use of said strip.
 13. Asweat absorbent strip for attachment inside a hat according to claim 1wherein said strip is packaged in plastic.
 14. A sweat absorbent stripfor attachment inside a hat according to claim 1 wherein a plurality ofsaid fabrics strips are dispensed from a box dispenser.